Photos by Patrick Olivero
FAIR HAVEN – As the sun rose July 5, sailors from Monmouth Boating Club (MBC), Atlantic Highlands Yacht Club, Shrewsbury Sailing & Yacht Club (SSYC), and Shrewsbury River Yacht Club (SRYC) docked their ships at the SSYC’s club house for the 7th annual Mayor’s Cup race.
Joining them were younger members of the MBC and Fair Haven Sailing Club’s River Rats who would race in their Opti sailboats. Ship captains met in the clubhouse to discuss the course for the day. Cruising ships and one-designs ran a bridge race starting near SSYC, heading to a marker by Red Bank, then turning and heading toward the Oceanic Bridge. A final turn had them finishing in front of the SSYC clubhouse. Younger sailors had a simpler course they ran multiple times.
It was a close race, but at the end of the day the winner of the NJYRA Irwin Bowl/Mayor’s Cup went to the one-design Bolt from the Shrewsbury River Yacht Club. Of the cruising vessels, SRYC’s War Horse took home first place for the third year in a row, followed closely by MBC’s Nereid.
